Test in place valve and valve fitting

Apparatus for testing in place by means of a portable hydraulic test system having first and second test ports, comprising:

• (1) a hydraulic snubber comprising:
• (a) a main cylinder;
• (b) first and second snubber ports opening into separate chambers of said main cylinder;
• and
• (c) an internal control valve and wherein the snubber is tested without physically actuating the main cylinder;
• (2) a valve fitting connected to each of the first and second snubber ports, each said valve fitting comprising:
• (a) a valve housing including a connecting port for attachment to a snubber port;
• (b) a chamber within said housing communicating with the main cylinder;
• (c) a valve seat at one end of said chamber opposite the connecting port attachment to the snubber port;
• (d) a passageway extending from said valve seat to the exterior of said housing;
• (e) a poppet valve having a head portion disposed within said chamber and yieldably biased against said valve seat to isolate said chamber from said passageway, said head portion of said poppet valve including receiving means at a point facing said passageway;
• (f) means for removable attachment to said valve housing for placing said passageway in hydraulic communication with the test system, whereby hydraulic fluid is introduced into said passageway from the test system when said poppet valve is disposed against said valve seat;
• and
• (g) actuating means extending through said means and into said passageway for forcing said poppet valve away from said valve seat into said chamber to place the hydraulic test system into hydraulic communication with the main cylinder, said actuating means including positioning means for engaging said receiving means to maintain concentricity and axial control of said poppet valve when forced away from said valve seat, so that said poppet valve properly reseats against the valve seat and seals the chamber from said passageway when biased against said valve seat.

Apparatus for testing in place a hydraulic snubber having first and second snubber ports each connected to a separate valve fitting, an internal control valve, and a main cylinder for testing the functional status of the internal control valve of the snubber without physically actuating the main cylinder of the snubber, said apparatus comprising:

• a portable hydraulic test system having first and second test ports;
• first and second poppet valves, one connected to each port of the snubber and having a poppet with a head portion in a chamber and a spring for yieldably biasing the head portion of said poppet against a valve seat into a closed position, said poppet including receiving means;
• and
• a valve fitting connected to each of the poppet valves, said valve fitting comprising:
• a valve housing for sealing attachment to said poppet valve, said housing having a connecting port;
• means for connecting the connecting port to one of the test ports of said test system;
• a passageway in said valve housing in communication with the chamber of said poppet valve;
• a shaft slidably mounted in said passageway and movable between a deactuated and an actuated position;
• a probe extending from said shaft through said passageway for selectively engaging the receiving means of said poppet to open said poppet valve when said shaft is moved from the deactuated position to the actuated position;
• said probe having a cross sectional area less than said passageway, so that the test system communicates with said valve through said passageway;
• and
• said test system being operable to evacuate said valve housing and said poppet valve when said valve housing is attached to said poppet valve and said poppet is in a closed position.

Apparatus for testing in place a hydraulic snubber by means of a portable hydraulic test system, the snubber having first and second snubber ports each connected to a separate valve fitting, each valve fitting including a poppet valve operational for testing the hydraulic snubber, an internal control valve and a main cylinder, wherein the snubber is tested without physically actuating the main cylinder, the valve fitting connected to each of the first and second ports comprising:

• a fitting housing having first and second ends;
• a first passageway extending between said first and second ends;
• a shaft slidably mounted in the passageway in a sealed relationship and extending out of said first end of said fitting housing;
• a probe extending from the shaft through the passageway in a spaced apart relationship and out of said second end of said fitting housing;
• at least one bore extending transverse from a portion of said passageway containing the probe and the exterior of said fitting housing;
• a rotary union having a connecting port and an annular channel, said union rotatably mounted on said fitting housing adjacent said bore and including a second passageway for communicating with said first passageway through said bore;
• means for attaching the connecting port of said rotary union to a snubber port of the hydraulic test system;
• and
• means for attaching said second end of said housing to an inlet port of the snubber.